Four Stages of Love
by 3shells
Summary: SasuSaku. Post-Canon. It started off with an infatuation. Because love happened accidentally, in a heartbeat, even for the stoic Uchiha.


**Author's Note** : Wrote this during my seven-hour-long flight from Melbourne. Still can't believe I wrote this super long one-shot, on a plane nonetheless. This is somewhat different from my usual concise writing style, I guess you can say it's filled with a little bit more details and descriptions. :D Well, enjoy and happy reading! Hope you like the story.

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto.

**Summary** : Post-Canon. It started off with an infatuation. Because love happened accidentally, in a heartbeat, even for the stoic Uchiha.

* * *

_I. Fascination_

* * *

Sasuke was sixteen when he started climbing his way back to the Konoha ninja hierarchy.

It had been almost three months since his unexpectedly tranquil return to Konoha, whereupon he was held culpable for his disloyalty to the government. Declared guilty for abandoning his birthplace, defecting to Orochimaru's side, and treacherously confronting the renowned figureheads of each shinobi village during the Five Kage Summit, Sasuke was shortly condemned a criminal before being put on a probation period. The trial had been both physically and emotionally exhausting even for the normally stoic Uchiha, triggering a waft of bitter nostalgia that he had desperately tried to erase - memories of a particular Uchiha massacre.

Carried out in the Konoha Intelligence Division headquarters for almost three days, lasting from midday to far into the dusk, the authorized judging had been led by the Hokage herself along with the newly constructed village council, consisting of leaders from every influential clan in the country. Not surprisingly, the trial had been conducted in secrecy, bearing in mind the information regarding the bloodbath was branded as too dangerous and alarming to reveal to public eyes.

Assisted by the undisputed significance that the war against Madara would not be won without his assistance, they'd been rather lenient, almost merciful, on his penalty, Sasuke mused. It suited him perfectly fine, obviously, but the onyx-eyed shinobi had been impeccably astonished that they'd merely sentenced him to a year of in-house probation, within which his behaviors and actions would be attentively observed by the ANBU Black Operations.

No chakra seal, no penitentiary imprisonment.

Utmost compliance might work in his favor, too. Tsunade had been alacritous to deter his verdict when he was deemed cooperative enough to be trusted again as a loyal ninja to the village, demonstrating firm support in his allegiance to Konoha by voluntarily penancing himself and doing some community service works. Sasuke readily accepted, pondering inwardly that anything which could help lessen his punishment was worth-doing.

Community service, the onyx-eyed man realized, involved the menial, tedious activities and non-ninja tasks of helping the civilians in restructuring the almost utterly destroyed Konoha neighborhood, courtesy of a certain Akatsuki member's attack. He was, for the lack of better terms, forced to be a carpenter - chopping woods, driving in nails, and building structures.

_Che. How embarassing._

The humiliation was not nearly as unpleasant as the exasperating annoyance he felt, though.

The scorching heat of sun during summer in Konoha might not be as unbearably skin-burning and head-thrumming as one might encounter in Suna, but for the ex-missing-nin who was used to the cold, dark, and murky environment of Otogakure, the current high temperature was almost reminiscent of hell. Especially when he was currently crouching on the rooftop of one of the villagers' house located adjacent to the Konoha Hospital, adhering one tile to another almost absentmindedly.

Sasuke was soaked to the bone, sweat flowing out of his body like an endless downpour during rainy season. His hairs and clothes were drenched heavily, damp with perspiration, and it took everything he had not to mutter obscenities at the unnervingly sizzling hot weather. And of course, his inability to quench the never-ending heat and cool down by removing his squelchy shirt.

Not that he literally couldn't, just that he would rather not do it.

One time was enough, he mused.

When he had been forced to remove his top due to the unbearably piping temperature but two days ago, the result had been maddeningly explosive. The love-struck masses of feminine population were probably unused to see such a ridiculously good looking shinobi, masculine body and sleek raven hairs glistening in sweat endearingly. Top with his almost nakedness and menacing upbringing, Sasuke had been the perfect embodiment of Eros, a Greek God accredited for evoking sexual desire and allurements to humans.

Barraged by a bombardment of squealing as well as undying confessions by the swooning civilians and kunoichi alike, Sasuke had to endure the unhampered chaos he fortuitously evoked before he could even think to put his attire back on. Frightened of being sexually assaulted, the dominant, reserved man had to run around the village, hiding in an abandoned alley for a lengthy hour. An experience he did not want a repeat of, undoubtedly.

But now, he was not so sure.

The necessity to cool off seemed to outweigh his avid aggravation to his persistent admirers. Looking around at the vicinity, he discerned that the neighborhood was mostly devoid of any citizens as it was lunch hour; most would spend the period at their decided eatery to acquire sustenance. Contentedly deciding that the area was free from those of the opposite gender, Sasuke reached for the end of shirt and slowly started to drag the piece of fabric over his head, revealing his bare chest and pleasant abs.

Sasuke heard a gasp of astonishment.

Head whipping down to determine the source of the voice, his sharp onyx eyes scanned through the surrounding streets, only to find a single female standing on the pathway in front of the construction he was presently at.

Sakura.

The rosette-haired woman was frozen still like an ice statue, the petrified expression on her face blatantly apparent. Gaping in what almost seemed like a comical fashion, Sakura was thankful she had the conscience to cover the almost disconcertingly embarrassing action with the palm of her hand. Heart galloping laboriously at the sight of a semi-nude Uchiha, the kunoichi was rebelling really hard to prevent a small red hue threatening to appear on her smooth cheekbones. An act with no avail, if the sudden heat pulsing through her veins and spreading its warmth throughout her face was of any indications.

There was a momentary lull as onyx met emerald.

"Sakura."

"Sa- Sasuke-kun," the medic-nin momentarily stammered, overcome by the sudden, instinctive sense of anxiety.

She swallowed, before drawing a couple of deep, carefully controlled breaths in an attempt to suppress the torrents of emotion currently gripping her whole being. It seemed to be working now, and her face had adopted its usual cheery demeanor, rosy blush and stunned eyes long lost forgotten.

Inwardly congratulating herself for a job well-done, Sakura waved a hand to him in greeting. "Hello Sasuke-kun," she chirped.

Sasuke's eyebrow scrunched in bewilderment.

Frankly, Sakura's virtually nonchalant reaction at his appearance caught him by surprise. She had reddened and stammered, but the way she collected herself instantaneously with no trouble was almost baffling. Compared to how the majority of female masses had thrown themselves at his feet after seeing his almost naked body, her response was, needless to say, relieving.

It was almost as if she regarded him as a mere acquaintance, one who she had never had a single ounce of infatuation with.

Impeccably narrowing his gaze to send a level, penetrating look her way, Sasuke pondered the possibility of such change from the previously fanatical kunoichi. He inwardly shook his head. No, it was not possible. She had offered her love repeatedly, and had even been willing to throw away her life in Konoha just to be with him. The depth of her feeling reminded him of an unfathomable, bottomless well that Sasuke figured she couldn't have erased it so effortlessly.

Since his return, the onyx-eyed shinobi had to admit that he had very few exchanges with the vivacious medic-nin. It was anticipated, really, with Sasuke's house confinement and his hectic community service work schedule. Their encounters had been limited to a few times when Naruto decided to drag Sakura to the Uchiha household to have a 'team bonding' dinner, as the cerulean-eyed shinobi had recited. Those were, naturally, provided that Sakura was not required at the hospital, approximately lessening their already scarce interactions.

Sakura had been compassionate enough to him during every exchange, always acting like a thoughtful and concerned teammate and making sure she was well-informed of the current happenings in his life. But never once had she acted like she was attracted to him, she had never attempted to pressure him to interact with her, much less ask him on a date. Nor had she ever pine any unrealistic expectation on becoming his girlfriend.

In fact, she was incredibly respectful of his need for personal space, too respectful that it was just about outrageous for one to consider she was head-over-heels with him.

"Why?" Sasuke thought.

Sakura had never been one to hide her affection, and the glaring difference in demeanor was so uncharacteristic of her that it was perplexing.

The truth hit Sasuke like a ton of bricks. As affectionate as the emerald-eyed kunoichi had been, she was twice as selfless.

_Is she doing this so I won't feel uncomfortable?_

Being the observant and perceptive kunoichi she was, Sakura probably predicted his uneasiness when faced by her still apparent yearning of his love. After all, he had tried to kill her without any hesitation. The notion of still being treasured so dearly by a woman he almost murdered would probably brought about a wrenching feeling of self-recrimination to his soul.

Even when her romantic feelings for him still lingered, she had resorted to pretending to be his comrade instead. Her affectionate conduct was downright shrugged aside, in favor of easing his remorse for his prior attempt at harming her.

She did it all for him.

The thought of how a person was willing to do something incredibly altruistic for his sake swept the raven-haired man in a torrent of bittersweet emotion. Sakura's action had reeled him backward in time, to when his brother had self-effacingly decided to sacrifice his future and be declared as a missing-nin to save his life.

_She acts just like Itachi. Everything is always for my sake._

"Sasuke-kun?" Concern igniting at Sasuke's lack of reply, Sakura had decided to jump up and join him on the rooftop, stepping forward until she was standing several steps before him.

"Are you okay?" Sakura muttered hesitantly, scrutinizing him with a comprehensive once-over.

Sasuke's head snapped up, the question bringing him out of his contemplations.

When puzzled onyx eyes met troubled emerald, it suddenly felt as if the haze of smoke obscuring her being had just been wafted and unveiled, allowing him to assess her clearly for the very first time. The gravity of her love for him. How she was insistently prepared to do anything to support him.

Sakura, he marveled, possessed the purest, softest, and most generous heart he had ever had a chance to experience. Something that he inarguably didn't deserve, but she decided to give anyways.

_Sasuke was sixteen, and he was fascinated with Sakura._

* * *

_II. Attraction_

* * *

Sasuke was seventeen when he was reinstated as an official member of team 7, ready for mission roster.

Directly following his clearance from house-imprisonment, lightened to six months due to his considerably compliant behavior, Sasuke had nailed the chuunin examinations to the mast a mere month after. Sailing through every part of the assessment with flying colors, the Sharingan user had been pitted against his blonde teammate in the final match-up of the tournament. Powerful techniques were performed, only to be encountered by another of the same level.

A promise of not holding anything back by the two rivals was rewarded when the match finally ended in a stalemate, both too exhausted to continue after almost two hours of continuous and relentless battle.

Naruto, who had been incredibly ecstatic that they had been promoted to chuunins, immediately proclaimed that a celebratory party for their triumph was in order. It would also be a somewhat get-together event to commemorate what he had quoted as the revival of team 7, now that all its members stood on the same rank.

The blonde, being a busybody that he was, had broadcasted the festivities to practically the entire Konoha ninja population. To be hosted at the recently established notorious nightclub in red light district of downtown Konoha, it would last from the early nighttime all the way into the beginning of the next day. The possibility of spending the night with promises of free booze and scantily dressed females had naturally attracted enough attention to guarantee the abundant number of enthusiastic crowd cramming the party.

Never having been a fan of noisy environments and boisterous crowds, Sasuke had initially refused Naruto's relentless persuasion to attend the abovementioned celebration. After all, his overeager and aggressive fangirls had the tendencies to appear out of nowhere, popping up in the vicinity without fail with no notice whatsoever.

No, he would simply not risk getting assaulted in such a tiny, cramped establishment known as a freaking discotheque. Having to endure feminine whines and coy flirtation by countless females was not what Sasuke had in mind when envisioning a reward for his fresh advancement.

"Come on, Teme! You've just got to go. The rest of our friends will be there too." Not even Sasuke's ominous death glare had been enough to stop Naruto's endless ramblings. His loud yapping was starting to disrupt the inner part of Sasuke's hearing system, not to mention his sanity. It was so insanely infuriating that he had been forced to comply, not before muttering a string of blasphemies to the clueless blonde.

A while after, a disgruntled Sasuke was hauled by a blatantly enthusiatic Naruto over the streets of Konoha club district. Moving hastily, it was nearly ten at night when they arrived at the neon-decorated, and posh-looking venue. The wail of jarring upbeat music and the club's smoky, alcoholic smell hit Sasuke like a smack upside the head the moment he pushed through the door of its entrance. True enough, the place was overflowing with guests, sounds of chatter echoing throughout the flashily-illuminated area for every momentary lull while the DJ switched to a new song.

Stopping just inside the doorway, the raven-haired chuunin scanned through the establishment dubiously for any sign of rowdy fangirls. By some form of miracle and luck, there seemed to be none at the moment, if the absence of incessant squeals and love-struck expressions at his appearance were of any indications. Heaving a portentous sigh of relief, Sasuke reluctantly sailed after Naruto through throngs of people as the cerulean-eyed man enthusiastically marched his way to an exclusively reserved space for the members of Konoha 9. Located in the innermost portion and more secluded part of the club, Sasuke was forced to glare his way in, fixing a menacing look to the crush of people who had the audacity to hinder his way.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto shouted as the two reached their destination, a commodious dimly-lit area furnished with several cozy-looking couches and low-cocktail tables.

Almost all members of team 8 and team 10 had arrived and were scattered around nearby, considering both were nearly an hour late, courtesy of Sasuke's unyielding lack of fervor in joining the festivity. They were undoubtedly waiting for the arrival of the two honoree party hosts, Naruto much more so than his rival. None seemed to mind though, they were clearly enjoying the ambience, regardless of the loud atmosphere of the club.

Shikamaru and Chouji sported a similarly contented expression on their faces as they chatted and idled at the sofa, sipping occasionally on their beverages. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were lounging at another, engaged in a one-way conversation unmistakably dominated by the loud Inuzuka, the quieter Shino and Hinata retorting with a disinterested hum and a timid smile, respectively.

Skipping his way over to his sweet-tempered, meek Hyuuga sweetheart, Naruto had greeted her ardently with a bone-crushing embrace, prompting a full-blown flush to appear on Hinata's pale face as she reciprocated the sentiment by lightly kissing him on the cheek. As straightforward as ever, the blond had promptly hauled his girlfriend's hand before the two sauntered off to the dance floor. Cue to his action, several others stood up and followed suit, leaving Sasuke alone with the socially-awkward bug-user and the food-enthusiast Akimichi.

Not notoriously known as one for making any useless conversation, Sasuke went through the same routine he always had when entering a club: went to the bar to get some drinks, sat in the furthest corner of the booth in hope of fending off any unwanted attention, and waited until the others were completely inebriated before forcefully dragging them home.

A glass of vodka did little to lift Sasuke's somber mood. He detested the jarring environment of the discotheque, not to mention the sight of improperly-dressed females dancing suggestively beneath the blinding strobe light. A group of giggling kunoichi sent a coquettish look his way, much to his chagrin. Retorting with an intimidating glare which clearly meant 'Get the hell out of my way', the females had quickly scampered off, not wanting to face the wrath of an irked Uchiha.

_Damn. I never should've come here._ Sasuke scowled, silently cursing Naruto and his annoying power of persuasion.

Before he could continue with his brooding, though, a familiar presence interrupted him out of his thoughts.

"Damn it, Ino-Pig! Why do you have to force me to wear this appalling dress?"

Head snapping to the source of the voice, the sight that greeted Sasuke left him temporarily mute.

At the moment, the two kunoichi were standing a mere few meters to his seat, but had yet to notice his presence, possibly too engrossed in their bantering. His petal-haired teammate was distressed, face dismayed as she ranted her annoyance at the indifferent Yamanaka. Not that he'd noticed any of those things right away. His first instinct, in fact, had been to calm the abrupt rush of sexual hunger overwhelming his being.

Desire, thick and hot, pooled in his belly.

The vivacious woman was clad in the tiniest piece of attire he had ever seen. The red satin tube-top dress left almost nothing to imagination, with its low-cut cleavage and short, tight hemline. The attire also seemed to accentuate her svelte and petite form, perky breasts and slim thighs almost bare, to the male populace's exquisite enjoyment. Coupled with a flowing rosette hair, huge emerald eyes, and full red lips, Sakura was every bit as exotically tempting as the most luscious piece of dark chocolate.

A surge of possessive aggression flowed through him and he was enveloped in a sudden urge to murder any men who exhibited a little more than a passing interest to the alluring medic-nin. Scanning his eyes, the Uchiha could blatantly see the predatory intent glinting in the eyes of more than a handful of men the moment Sakura entered the vicinity, some discreet, others less so.

"Suck it up, Forehead! For once, you actually look hot enough to be called a girl," Ino's dry remark only served to heighten Sakura's growing irritation. Even more infuriatingly, the blonde had the nerve to suddenly wander off, deciding that the notion of dancing with her pineapple-haired boyfriend was more enjoyable than having to deal with an irritated Sakura.

Such as how Sakura was left alone near the bar, standing alone like a sore thumb amidst the clustering group of guests. Sakura sighed, regretting even stepping a foot at the establishment. Despite her best friend's fondness of clubbing, Sakura had never found it in her to enjoy such a boisterous form of entertainment. Nor had she enjoyed being pampered by a layer of thick make-up, regardless of Ino's never-ending chant of how it drew her striking features out.

And she undeniably despised being forced into such a skimpy piece of clothing, parading around like an overeager teenage girl who desired attention. With the gauntlet of masculine eyes following her every motion, as if they were mentally undressing her, Sakura felt infuriatingly mortified.

They dared to treat her like a piece of entertainment!

Temper flared, Sakura was ready to punch any overly-interested members of the opposite sex into oblivion, vowing that the shameless men would not know what hit them by the time she was finished venting her wrath. Whipping her body around to pierce a hardened gaze their way, the emerald-eyed woman was astonished to see the now pale, terrified expressions displayed in most of her admirers' faces.

_What's going on? _

One moment they were eyeing her like a piece of meat, and the next they were blatantly averting their gazes from her presence. How such a stark change in behavior had ensued, let alone in less than five minutes time, was a great mystery to the kunoichi.

A bewildered Sakura warily skimmed the faces of idling visitors jam-packing the bar, trying to find the suspect invoking the ghost-like expressions of the male populace.

What she found, instead, was the form of an outrageously furious Uchiha Sasuke. The atmosphere around the Uchiha had grown into something undeniably darker due to the menacing killing intent emanating from him. At the moment, he was glaring disdainfully at a man Sakura acknowledged as one who was imprudent enough to ogle at her, indiscreetly nonetheless.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke's dark brow were gathered ominously, but the murder in his onyx eyes had gentled the very moment he averted his gaze to his beautiful teammate.

Wresting his temper into submission, Sasuke hesitantly questioned, "Are you okay?"

A pair of emeralds widened at the distinct hint of concern tainting his voice, before softening impeccably as she realized how uncomfortable Sasuke must had been to actually blurt such an aberrantly affectionate question.

Smile tugging up at the corner of her mouth, Sakura made her way to the barstool, softly touching his shoulder in a reassuring manner before gratefully replying, "I'm fine, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke jerked upright in his chair. The layer of velvet-soft cotton shirt that kept their flesh from touching didn't do a thing to prevent her body heat from radiating through the thin fabric, and he was incredibly conscious of the softness of her hands covering his shoulder.

"Hn."

It had been almost three months since his accidental meeting with Sakura on the rooftop of a villager's house during his community service work, whereupon he was made highly aware of her. Possibly too aware, much to his mortification.

His emergent attraction had become manifestly indisputable since the preceding month, the very instant his probation had been lifted and he was permitted to roam around the country without any mistrust. Provided that all three members would now be able to join, Naruto had been adamant for team 7 to continue their weekly spar tradition, a ritual they had adopted since their early days as genins.

Their more recurrent exchanges, courtesy of the team training, had finally allowed him an in-depth observation of the woman Sakura had become in his three long years of absenteeism.

Sakura had been stronger, obviously, under the tutorage of a certain Godaime Hokage, inheriting her teacher's infamous vicious strength and exceptional medical skills. For Sakura to be able to hold her own against her teammates in a fight, two of the most notoriously established shinobi in the country, spoke volumes of her unyielding hard work and determination in polishing her ability. Gifted with no clan attributes or special techniques, Sakura had ascended her way up with capabilities she alone possessed - a natural aptitude in chakra-control and an extraordinarily bright mind.

Although Sakura's remarkable growth as a kunoichi had earned her his respect, it was her persistent, tenacious love for him that lure the Uchiha in.

Not that her affectionate conduct was noticeable.

No, in fact, it was as subtle as it had been a year past. She valued his need of personal space, even more so since the tremendous upsurge in their interactions. She still regarded him as a trusted comrade instead of an object of infatuation, something that he was appreciative and grateful of.

But sometimes…

When she gazed at him, he could feel a flash of longing lurking beneath the casualness in her emerald eyes. When she smiled at him, he could feel the remnants of bittersweet emotions threatening to pour themselves out in form of glistening, crystalline tears. When she healed him, he could feel her soft hands lingering for a second too long, as if reluctant to drop the contact against his skin.

She still loved him, of that he knew, even when she strained exceedingly hard to conceal it.

Her sentiment, startlingly, was not unwelcome.

He had marveled when he learned of her lingering feelings for him, although he was not entirely certain of the reason. But that was hardly the point. Something was happening with him, and he knew it. He was drawn to her like a compass needle to magnetic north.

During training, amidst the exchange of powerful advances and tactics, he would occasionally find himself casting a brief glance at his petal-haired teammate, apprehensively excogitating whether she suffered any injuries from the clash. He sought her touch, so gentle and hypnotic and tranquilizing that every so often he deliberately decided to stomach several attacks, forgoing evading even when he could've easily done so, just so he would have the privilege to be treated by her longer.

While lying in bed at night, he would begin to wonder what she was doing at the very minute.

He gradually acknowledged that he looked forward to their team sparring because it meant that he would see her. Provided an opportunity to interact with her.

Sasuke could not repudiate the attraction he had felt around his teammate. It just kept growing stronger and stronger, intensifying wildly for every second longer he spent with her.

_Sasuke was seventeen, and he was attracted to Sakura._

* * *

_III. Longing_

* * *

Sasuke was eighteen when the truth about the Uchiha massacre was finally revealed to public.

At the early days of his probationary period, Tsunade was adamant that the community was yet to be prepared for the delivery of such a remarkably astounding revelation, despite Sasuke's apparent discontentment. The government's approval of the aforementioned slaughters would infinitely shatter the citizens' current belief regarding the basis of the council's establishment and responsibility - to maintain an orderly relationship in Konoha.

Public uproar centering on the council's lack of humanity and benevolence as a way to ensure peace would definitely suffice.

It was, the Godaime had reluctantly described, too risky of an act for the present situation, where Konoha was still in the middle of recovery after Pain's invasion and the Fourth Shinobi War. The village's military and economic capabilities were subpar at best, they basically could not jeopardy Konoha's stability by triggering a public upheaval during such a vulnerable state.

Reluctantly consenting after the Hokage had vowed to unveil the reality and rebuke the elders for their inexcusable actions instantly after the village's reestablishment, his trial had proceeded almost as flawlessly as sledding down a slope of frozen snow.

Nearly two years after, Tsunade had deemed it time to acknowledge Itachi's selfless, patriotic sacrifice in suppressing the Uchiha clan's attempt at seizing the political momentum from the government.

Contrary to the Hokage's expectations, the public uproar concentrating on the government's consent of the deliberate genocide had been practically nonexistent. The absence of upheaval regarding the prior council's archaically militant belief had been relieving, even for the aloof Uchiha.

Until he learned of the citizens' unconcealed repugnance at what the Uchiha clan had been attempting. The onyx-eyed shinobi exhaled vigorously, settling the sudden tension that twanged warnings along the nerve endings down his spine.

The community's reaction, needless to say, had not been appealing.

"Hey, have you heard the truth about the masscare?" The fruits merchant's question to her fellow vendor echoed in his ear as he strode through the hectic marketplace located in downtown Konoha, intending to shop for some fresh tomatoes.

"Yeah, the Uchihas' plan to throw a coup d'état, right? All Uchihas were always so high and mighty, so they must had thrived for more power," he shrugged, before retaliating off-handedly.

"I guess being so powerful can do that to people, huh? You become so consumed with greed, just like that Uchiha traitor."

Anger sparked in Sasuke's onyx eyes. Every muscle in his body tensed, and for a minute he looked downright dangerous.

He couldn't fault their reasoning, provided that they were civilians with a considerably restricted understanding about Konoha's executive system, but that didn't stop him from being insulted right to the bone. Suspected to be the founder behind the Nina-Tails' attack on the village, the elders had ostracized the Uchiha clan from the community, forcing them to live in the suburb of the city. The segregation and constant surveillance had rekindled the clan's hatred towards the government, something that had eventually triggered its downfall.

In the end, it had been the government's suspicion and discrimination which brought demise to the Uchihas.

The Uchiha was once a very honorable clan, producing the most exceptionally talented shinobi in the country. Him aside, Sasuke definitely didn't take kindly to the community throwing his family a bunch of offensive insults.

A taste of impotent fury flooded Sasuke's mouth as the merchant sprouted another round of mocking comments. Incensed, he desperately wanted to march forward and gave them a piece of his mind, but since it would pretty much defeat the purpose of his probation, he decided to let it go. Slapping a lid on his temper, the Sharingan user proceeded to turn on his heel and head for his destination, only to stop dead in his track when the freshly loaded booth was forcefully slammed with a horrendous crash.

"Shut your damn mouths."

Sakura's lethal voice rang clear in the sudden cessation of conversation. Her clenched fist hung in the air, adding to the dangerousness of the situation.

"Don't ever insult Sasuke-kun or the Uchihas again," she threatened, eyes narrowing until they were little more than glints of green glaring out at them between petal lashes. The two civilians looked at his teammate in baffled horror, before swallowing hard and nodding vigorously; blatantly terrified at the murderous expression on her face.

After a lapse of stillness, Sakura tilted her head back and looked at him straight in the eye with a concern that made him question his sanity.

"Don't mind them, Sasuke-kun. You know it's not true," she uttered fondly.

Sasuke's heart tried to climb in his throat the moment he saw her strode in his direction, and the next thing he knew, her slender hands were wrapped around his waist in a reassuring embrace. Rubbing circles in-between his shoulder blades, her continuous velvet murmurs of 'it's okay, Sasuke-kun' had been perplexingly comforting. He thought of the warmth currently enveloping his body like a blanket and felt a glimpse of something akin to... longing.

It was unnerving.

Sakura had been one of the few constant sources of solaces for his distress since the public's reputation of the Uchiha clan had grown downhill. Along with the loud cerulean-eyed shinobi, Sakura had stuck through him thick and thin, glaring and narrowing her eyes at anyone who dared to offend her stoic, emotionless teammate.

The fiery medic-nin sure as hell didn't appreciate Sasuke being directed with such obscenities. She and Sasuke might have had only sporadic contact until the recent reinstatement of team 7, but she had always considered him as one of the most important persons in her life - never mind that her love was not reciprocated.

She had no inkling that it might not be as one-sided as she thought.

He didn't know why it bugged him so much, the sheer amount of effect she had over him. But the mist hazing Sasuke's usual logical reasoning process had remained even until a week after, when he had been assigned to accompany Sakura in patching up the presently ill Fire Daimyo.

Naruto had been critically wounded on their last assassination mission in Kirigakure and would not be allowed to join, much to the self-proclaimed future Hokage's annoyance. The A-ranked assignment itself had been easy enough, but team 7 had been ambushed near the perimeter of the aforementioned village by a dozen of rouge shinobi, all possessing jounin level-chakra. Although his other teammates were unscathed, the spiky-haired blond had sustained several broken ribs and an internal bleeding, quite a severe injury that needed a two-week-long recuperation period even with his remarkable fast restorative ability.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-san. I don't know what I'll do if something have happened to my husband," the daimyo's spouse, a graceful 50-year-old brunette, exclaimed appreciatively after Sakura was finished healing her counterpart.

The beautiful woman was quite taken by soft-hearted kunoichi after witnessing her tenacious devotion to safe the feudal lord. After all, he had been in a life-threatening condition when Sakura arrived at their massive and refined manor a few miles away from Konoha. Diagnosed with a terminal case of food poisoning, the complexity of the substance had made it incredibly problematic for any doctor to generate an antidote. The country leader's close relatives had been devastated, frantically trying to find any physician gifted enough to restore his health.

Their wish was granted when Sakura abruptly appeared, determinedly working on subtracting the poison for 24 hours straight. Albeit a bit run ragged the second she was finished, the fair-skinned female was pleased to realize that her effort had paid off. The Fire Lord would live, and should be awake by the next morning.

"It's nothing, Shijimi-san. I'm happy to help," Sakura replied, smiling in delighted accord.

At the corner of her eyes, she could see a broody Sasuke sitting at the temptingly alluring antique couch, suddenly reminding her of how worn out she was. Perhaps it is time to call it a day, she pondered.

"Shijimi-san, do you know of any inn located near this vicinity? I think it is time for us to leave."

"Nonsense, Sakura-san! I would not allow my husband's savior to spend the night anywhere but here," Madame Shijimi replied, before ceaselessly persuading a slightly hesitant Sakura that their companies were not at all an inconvenience.

Raised in a traditionally chivalrous environment, Sakura had always been notoriously known for her gallant and soft-hearted natures. She did not want to take advantage of her hospitality, not when they could've found lodgings without difficulty.

But the feudal lord's wife had been persistent. When the emerald-eyed kunoichi finally complied, tiredness overweighing her need for courtesy, it was well into midnight. Ushering both members of team 7 down the hall, crossing plush crimson carpeting, the three stopped in front of a robust-looking door.

"Please make yourselves at home," Shijimi latched the door handle and promptly opened it, departing shortly after to let them get some rest.

The guest room was as lavish on the inside as it had been on the outside: decorative wood paneling, golden chandeliers attached to the ceiling, luxurious wool carpet, and twin cozy queen-sized beds.

Making her way to the bathroom with little preamble after Sasuke had offered her the first turn to bathe, Sakura opted to take a quick shower, the promise of a long, hot soak quickly forgotten in favor of a much needed sleep. By the time the rosette-haired kunoichi was finished with her nightly ritual, entering the room sluggishly in her lavender-print flannel pajamas, the handsome Uchiha was sitting at the edge of the bed, scrutinizing a mission scroll.

"I'm finished, Sasuke-kun. You can use the bathroom now," she muttered, venturing towards the right-sided bed and plopping herself on top of the soft, bouncy mattress. Sleep had never come that easily.

Sakura awakened in slow increments a couple of hours after, barely relinquishing unconsciousness enough to acknowledge that she was roused by the sound of an incessant rustling of sheets. Curiosity piqued, the fiery chuunin tossed back the covers and climbed to her feet, snapping her gaze at Sasuke's direction to find the source of such noise.

Sakura's throat went tight.

The Uchiha was tossing and turning in his sleep, thrashing his limbs around the sheets in periodic intervals. Sweat was pouring freely off his torso and he was breathing in quick succession, as if just finishing an extended period of strenuous spar.

But those were not the points of apprehension for her.

No, what concerned her was the blatant look of terror in his pale, aristocratic face. His stoic, nonchalant "emotionless" expression was gone. His widened onyx eyes burned with anger and stark, raw pain, even in his slumber.

Sakura couldn't bear to see such wounded vulnerability on the face of the man normally so contained, and she hastily crouched at his bedside before for the second time that week, encircled her arms around his shoulders and pressed herself against him.

"Sssh, Sasuke-kun. It's not real. It's not real," she murmured, caressing his sleek raven hair with mother-like gentleness.

Sasuke jolted awake, groaning audibly in agony. Disquieting images of his nightmare swirled to his mind – the massacre, his battle with Itachi, his brother's death… Him strangling Sakura's neck. Exhaling vigorously to settle the familiar anxiety he experienced whenever this nightmare haunted him, Sasuke never discerned the soothing hug he was currently wrapped in before her sudden query finally snapped him back to reality.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?"

Amidst the distress, he could finally feel her.

She was warm. Heat spread out from her hands at his shoulder that he wanted nothing more than to let the embrace take all his anxiety away. Their gazes met and held, and he could practically see the electricity sizzling between them. No longer able to deny the pull she had against his body, the still trembling Uchiha hoisted her up to his bed before his muscular arms clamped around her so tightly she could hardly breathe.

_She's here._

"Don't leave me," he croaked, voice strained.

"I'm here Sasuke-kun. I won't ever leave you alone," she softly promised.

He did not know what assured him more, the fact that he knew she was wrapped around him safely or the fact that her presence seemed to immediately calm the emotional turmoil enveloping his being.

But he was content.

And he wanted to bask in that feeling forever.

_Sasuke was eighteen, and he longed for Sakura._

* * *

_IV. Love_

* * *

Sasuke was eighteen when he decided to openly declare his affection to Sakura.

It was strange to think of the unexpected twists a man's life could take.

A mere five years prior, the onyx-haired man had been prepared to murder Sakura without any qualms just to sever his bond with Konoha. At this instant, he couldn't even imagine living without her reassuring company.

The realization that he was actually in love with her came unpredictably enough.

It was almost noon that Sasuke was awakened from his slumber, feeling exceedingly loose-limbed and stress-free. Contentment hummed through his veins, and the physical heat radiating against his chest and across his stomach roused his inquisitiveness. Raising his head off the pillow to locate the source, Sasuke saw Sakura pressed against his side, head nestled between his collarbone and the beginning of swell in his chest. Face hidden from view by her flowing rosette hair, the emerald-eyed woman was lying with her arms draped across his stomach.

Sasuke couldn't help the satisfied smirk that curled up at the corner of his mouth to save his life.

He could get addicted to this. This warm and fuzzy, family-like sense of belonging that wrapped around his heart like a piece of fleece blanket.

Easing his hand beneath the thick fall of her hair to sweep it away from her face, Sasuke was finally greeted with a sight of pale, smooth, and strokable skin. Feeling a slight tingle as her tresses were moved, Sakura pried her eyes open and peered drowsily at the raven-haired shinobi.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He looked at her straight in the eye. Abruptly overwhelmed by the torrents of emotions wrenching his heart as his gaze met hers, Sasuke found himself unable to catch his breath.

Before the realization finally, eventually sunk in.

_I love her._

Fire burned in his eyes as his hands started sliding up to frame her face. The next thing she knew, Sasuke had slammed his mouth over hers, invading the interior of her mouth with a stab of his tongue, a squeak from the bewildered kunoichi muffled by his desperate kiss. The thumbs beneath her chin were keeping her face tilted up and his gentle fingers were cupping the back of her head. Holding her in place as he slaked a hunger that felt as if it'd been building up forever, he relished the softness of her mouth… Along with the sweetness of her taste.

Pulling away after several passing minutes, the swollen look of her lips and the rosy flush dusting her pale complexion sent a chaste grin tugging at his lips.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stammered, a downright petrified expression clouding her face. Her mind was in a jumbled mess, her ability to concentrate on anything but Sasuke's close proximity shattered.

"Be with me, Sakura."

Emerald eyes widened in stunned realization. Her instinctive reaction had been to accept his request, and, in fact, there was simply nothing she could do. Her feelings for him had been too strong that it was almost impossible to resist. But a tiny niggle of unease still hummed along the lining of her stomach.

_What if he doesn't love me?_

She inwardly shook her head. No, she was not willing to fall back into the same pit, not without the assurance that his feelings for her were real.

"But... I thought you don't like me. Not like that, at least," Sakura finally retaliated, swallowing down a nervous quiver threatening to overcome her body.

Moving closer, Sasuke fondly caressed the soft curve in her milky cheeks before sighing, "I think I've been in love with you for the past year, Sakura."

_I've just never realized it._

Head snapping down at the unexpected retort, Sakura's gaze rested at Sasuke, at those dark eyes that were filled with so much desire and longing, all directed to her.

A small knot in Sakura's stomach unraveled as the sudden apprehension hit her like a slap across her face. The protective aggression at the bar. The respect for her ability. The stolen glances during training. Last night's embrace.

_He loves me. _

Hope surged through her stomach, abrupt surge of happiness spreading along her nerve endings.

"You love me," she repeated, flashing him a smile as radiant as a sun.

"Aa," the stoic Uchiha said in a low, intense voice.

Warmth suffused her clear out to the tips of her fingers. Feeling the sudden flow of heat beginning to rise to her cheeks again, Sakura shyly wrapped her arms along the strong column of his neck and promptly snuggled closer to his torso. Resting her heard in the hollow of his shoulder, she murmured contentedly, "You won't regret this, will you?"

He bent his head and bestowed a soft kiss at the top of her head.

"Never."

_Sasuke was eighteen, and he was in love with Sakura._

* * *

**Author's Note** : What do you think? Too long? Too cheesy? Too rushed? English is not my first language, so I sincerely hope my writing's not too crappy for your taste. ;)

Critics and suggestions are very much appreciated. :)


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